Heat exchangers have been used in vehicles as either radiators or condensers. Such heat exchangers may be of the serpentine flow tube type. Representative of this type of heat exchanger is the condenser disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,791 issued Feb. 20, 1990 in the name of Kadle, and assigned to the assignee of the subject invention. The patent discloses a serpentine condenser having unequal flow paths communicating between an inlet and an outlet. The heat exchanger includes a header channel forming a mounting bracket for supporting the flow tubes and for allowing mounting of the condenser in the vehicle.
During testing of long life alloys for serpentine tube and center condensers, it has been determined that the cores almost always fail on a tube bend. In the tube bend area there are no centers contacting the tube. In the core face, the zinc within the air centers helps protect the tubes by sacrificially corroding itself over a broad, but shallow area thereby preventing deep pits through the tube. Currently, brackets or header channels are fitted over the ends of the core in the area of the tube bends to mimic the mounting arrangement for a headered tube and fin style condenser. A layer of protective zinc may be placed on the steel by hot dip galvanizing. Currently, the header channels are then painted on both sides with epoxy paint. However, the paint acts as a barrier to the zinc.
The benefit of using corrosion resistant materials in a radiator is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,059 issued Jun. 24, 1980 Anthony et al and U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,110 issued Sep. 25, 1984 in the name of Zawierucha. The '059 patent discloses a corrosion resistant material between the header and tank, and the Zawierucha patent discloses a corrosion resistant header in a plate and fin type heat exchanger.